A Night at the Ritz: A Silly Little Hustle

If you're looking for something that won't make your brain hurt on a Tuesday night, A Night at the Ritz is a perfectly fine way to kill an hour. It’s light, it’s snappy, and it doesn't try to be anything more than a goofy misunderstanding.

Duke Regan is exactly the kind of guy you'd want to avoid at a party. He's loud, he's fast, and he's always selling something nobody asked for. Watching him try to convince the Ritz hotel that a guy with absolutely zero cooking skills is some kind of master chef is a total train wreck in slow motion.

The whole thing hinges on a mix-up involving a plate of food. It’s charming in that old 1930s way, I guess. You can see the gears turning in Duke’s head every time he smells a potential promotion. He's so desperate to make a splash that he barely stops to breathe.

There's a scene in the kitchen that feels like it was filmed in one long, sweaty take. The extras in the background are clearly just standing there waiting for their lunch break. It's a bit of a mess, honestly, but it adds to the frantic energy.

The mother character is the only one with any common sense here. She’s the one actually doing the cooking while everyone else runs around like chickens with their heads cut off. I found myself rooting for her to just walk out and leave them to starve.

It’s not as chaotic as Big Business, but it shares that same DNA of people digging themselves into holes they can't possibly climb out of. If you like movies where everyone is constantly talking over each other, you'll probably have a decent time.

Don't look for logic. There isn't any. It's all about the rhythm of the insults and the slapstick setups. Some of the dialogue is so sharp it almost cuts, while other lines fall flatter than a day-old soufflé. 🍳

Notes from the couch:

• The hotel lobby set looks like it's made of cardboard and pure optimism.
• I really wanted someone to actually eat a full meal on camera for once.
• The pacing hits a weird wall about forty minutes in, but then it just sprints to the finish line.
• Is it just me, or does everyone in this movie need a nap?

It's not going to change your life. It won't make your top ten list. But for a quick, breezy watch, it’s got just enough charm to keep you from turning it off. Just don't think about the logistics of the hotel kitchen for too long, or the whole thing falls apart.